February, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

On-Air Personality Chad Rozema Leaving Woodbine For Raceway Manager Role At Grand River Raceway

Woodbine Entertainment has announced that long-time on-air personality Chad Rozema will be leaving the organization to pursue a new opportunity.

Rozema originally joined Woodbine in 2007 as a commentator for HPItv before becoming a main stay host and analyst for Woodbine's Standardbred simulcast coverage. He also served as a backup race caller and has contributed to Woodbine's Thoroughbred and Standardbred social content.

Notably, Rozema has been a trusted host and analyst for Woodbine's network coverage over the last decade-plus. Rozema contributed to Bet Night Live on The Score, Racing Night Live on TSN, and many of Woodbine's marquee events, including The Queen's Plate and Pepsi North America Cup.

“Chad has been an integral member of our Woodbine team, providing great enthusiasm and professionalism to our racing products and broadcasts,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “We will miss having Chad on the Woodbine team, but we're excited to watch him excel in his new role. On behalf of Woodbine and our fans, I would like to thank Chad for his contributions and wish him the best of luck in his new endeavour.”

Rozema has accepted a position as Raceway Manager at Grand River Raceway. His final broadcast will be in late March.

Woodbine wishes Rozema the best of luck in his new role.

The post On-Air Personality Chad Rozema Leaving Woodbine For Raceway Manager Role At Grand River Raceway appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Forte, Angel of Empire Among 141 Blue Grass Noms; Wonder Wheel Heads Ashland

Keeneland's $1-million GI Toyota Blue Grass Apr. 8 has attracted 141 nominees led by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's champion Forte (Violence) and recent GII Risen Star S. winner Angel of Empire (Classic Empire).

Click here for the list of the Toyota Blue Grass nominees; click here for their past performances.

“As Keeneland's signature race, the Toyota Blue Grass is the crown jewel in our Spring Meet stakes program,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said. “It's exciting to see so many of the nation's top sophomores and stables represented among the nominees, and we look forward to the outstanding competition on opening weekend. As always, we want to thank our horsemen for their strong support of Keeneland and the Toyota Blue Grass.”

The 1 1/8-mile Toyota Blue Grass is one of five graded stakes worth a combined $2.65 million to be run Apr. 8 on Keeneland's 11-race card, which has a first post time of 12:30 p.m. ET. Other stakes that day are the GI Madison S.; the GII Appalachian S.; the GII Shakertown S.; and the GIII Commonwealth S.

The Toyota Blue Grass is the ninth race with a 5:15 p.m. post. NBC will televise the race along with the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby and another Keeneland stakes from 4:30-6 p.m. The post position draw will be held Wednesday, Apr. 5.

The winner of the Toyota Blue Grass will earn 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, while the second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-place finishers receive 40 points, 30 points, 20 points and 10 points, respectively.

A total of 88 nominees to the Apr. 7 GI Central Bank Ashland S. is led by reigning juvenile champion filly D.J. Stable's Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) and last weekend's GII Rachel Alexandra winner Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief).

Click here for a list of Central Bank Ashland nominees; click here for their past performances.

The Central Bank Ashland awards 100 points to the winner on the Road to the May 5 GI Kentucky Oaks. The next four finishers receive 40 points, 30 points, 20 points and 10 points, respectively.

The post Forte, Angel of Empire Among 141 Blue Grass Noms; Wonder Wheel Heads Ashland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Jersey Des Brosses Brings 370k At Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale

Wildcard Jersey Des Brosses (Fr) (No Risk At All {Fr}) (lot 32) brought a sale-topping bid of £370,000 from Gordon Elliott Racing to lead the way during Thursday's Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale.

The price was the highest for a 4-year-old since 2019. Second on his debut at Oldtown last weekend to fellow sales horse Jingko Blue (Fr) (Great Pretender {Ire}) (lot 36) who made £225,000 from JP McGrath Bloodstock, Jersey Des Brosses was consigned by Colin Bowe's Milestone Stables.

Elliott, bidding online, said, “He looked the standout horse in the sale, and I'd say a summer's grass is what he wants as he's a horse with plenty of improvement in him.

“He's one we're looking forward to for next year. We'd seen him in Colin's and liked him. We'll have to get him home and get him sold now.”

A pair of winning Walk In The Park (Ire) geldings from Monbeg Stables brought £290,000 and £250,000 apiece, as Mt Fugi Park (Ire) (lot 8) caught the eye of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock on behalf of Jonjo O'Neill Racing, and Highflyer Bloodstock bought Leader In The Park (Ire) (lot 28), respectively.

A total of 40 lots of 52 offered (77%) sold for a gross of £4,298,000, the third highest aggregate ever reached at the sale. The average rose 30% to £107,450 and the median rose by 29% to £77,500.

Matt Prior, Tattersalls Head of Sales, said, “To have six horses fetch over £200,000, 15 sell for over £100,000 and a record-breaking turnover is a fantastic result and shows the continuing desire by owners and trainers to buy the very best NH prospects at the Tattersalls Cheltenham sales.

“A top-price of £370,000 given for the 4-year-old Jersey Des Brosses is a fabulous result for trainer Colin Bowe and owner Walter Connors, who are always such strong supporters of Tattersalls, and it is a great start to this year's trade in 4-year-old point-to-pointers.”

The post Jersey Des Brosses Brings 370k At Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Sibelius to Golden Shaheen

Jun Park and Delia Nash's Sibelius (Not This Time), winner of his last two Florida starts including Gulfstream's GIII Mr. Prospector S., is headed to Dubai to run in the G1 Golden Shaheen Mar. 25 at Meydan Racecourse.

“We have accepted an invitation to go to Dubai,” trainer Jerry O'Dwyer said. “He came out of his last race good and is doing really well.”

Sibelius, the winner of the Lite the Fuse S. at Pimlico last fall, followed up his New Year's Eve Mr. Prospector score with another victory in the Pelican S. at Tampa Feb. 11.

“He put it all together that day,” O'Dwyer said. “The Mr. Prospector worked out a bit different than the way he had been running. He was in behind the speed getting dirt in his face and had to rate a little bit and then tip out and go do it. He had to do everything like a proper racehorse does. He didn't get everything his own way.”

In the six-furlong Pelican, Sibelius set a stakes record 1:08.75, just .08 off the track record.

“I was very impressed with him, because he really had to battle off and fend off that other horse [Doctor Oscar] that put it to him the whole way,” O'Dwyer said. “He really had to dig in deep to put that horse away towards the wire.”

According to O'Dwyer, Sibelius will continue his preparations at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, before leaving for Dubai next month.

“He'll have a couple breezes here at Palm Meadows and then he'll ship out. He'll probably have his last breeze on [Mar.] 10. He doesn't need a lot of hard training,” he said. “He'll have a couple of half-mile breezes. The plan is to breeze him on the 10th, check him over on the 11th and, if all is well, get on the plane on the 12th. He might have a little blowout, maybe an easy three-eighths in :38 [seconds] or something, just to let him stretch his legs over the track out there.”

Previously, O'Dwyer traveled to Dubai in 2020 with Grade II winner Shotski, fourth in Gulfstream's GII Fountain of Youth S., to contest the UAE Derby. The card was ultimately canceled following the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic.

“We're excited. I love shipping horses, but I don't like shipping them anywhere unless I think they're live, and I do think he's a very nice, genuine horse and hopefully, he can get a nice piece of it out there,” O'Dwyer said.

He added, “It was kind of our target all along if everything went according to plan,” he added. “Our long-term goal since the end of last year was to go to Dubai with him if he kept continuing to run well and progress.”

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